The federal government is giving $2.4 million to Prince Edward Island so the province can adopt higher performance tiers of the 2020 national model energy codes. The funding will provide building industry professionals with tools and training to ensure compliance with provincial building codes as P.E.I. adopts increasingly energy-efficient performance tiers.

The investment comes from the Codes Acceleration Fund, which was announced in 2023, to help meet Canada’s goal of net-zero emissions and climate-resilient buildings sector by 2050.

“The Codes Acceleration Fund will help the Island construction industry better prepare for advances in building design and construction methods,” said Gilles Arsenault, minister of environment, energy and climate action. “We will be utilizing the Codes Acceleration Fund to embark on a feasibility study to identify barriers and challenges to adopting higher performance tiers and hire additional building officials to provide training for staff and industry professionals on the changes to construction codes.”

Canadian households spend an average of $2,200 a year on home energy costs. Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown, said the investment will support the adoption of stronger building codes in all types of buildings and help deliver more affordable energy.

In turn, the investment will also cut emissions. Canada’s residential buildings account for 47 per cent of buildings sector emissions in the country, while buildings, overall, are the third largest emitter of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with more than 96 percent of emissions coming from space and water heating.

A second call for funding proposals for the Codes Acceleration Fund is open until January 10, 2025, through which applicants may submit their projects for consideration.